Tube clamp and elevator.



Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

3 SHEETS-S32E11.

. i 5 1 z I witnesses Q h} d B. ANDREWS, Jn. TUBE GLAMP AND ELEVATOR.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN ANDREWS, 1a., or MEXICO, MEXICO. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed February 17, 1908. Serial No. 416,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN ANDREWS, J-r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Mexico, country of Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube Clamps and Elevators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

l-leretofore it has been generally necessary in unscrewing sections of pipe or tubing used in oil wells and for similar purposes to hold one of said sections motionless by a pair of clamping tongs known as the back-up tongs while using a second pair of tongs to turn the other section.

It is obviously desirable to substitute for the back-up tongs some automatic means for clamping the pipe against turning and to make such means operative only when the elevator is in the proper position for such engagement, the weight of the pipe and the contact of a fixed device or devices independent of the elevator causing such clamping action without interfering with the other functions of said elevator.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 re resents a view in vertical section partly in si e elevation and broken away of two sections of drill pipe or boring tube, an elevator and the clamping wedges and annular backup head embodying my invention, said head being on the upper end of the casing tube of the well and said back-up head and grip ing wedges not being in operative contact; .i 2 represents a similar view of the same wit these parts in operative contact; Fig. 3 represents a detail perspective view of the conoidal clamping wed es; Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the bac -up head in which the said wed es fit; Fig. 5 represents a detail view simi ar to the u per part of Fig. 1 showing a modification; ig. 6 represents a detail view of a modified form of the grip ing wedges; Fig. 7 represents a plan view 0 the corresponding form of the back-up head; Fig. 8 represents a plan view of the elevator and attached parts shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 9 represents a vertical section of the table of a rotary boring machine, showing the devices embodying my invention applied thereto, these being partly in elevation; Fig. 10 represents a similar view of these devices embodying my invention arranged in an oil well casing head; Fig. 11 represents a sectional view of a modification of the said devices, using only one wedge; and Fig. 12 represents a Ver tical section of the same partly in elevation. AA two tube sections, the lower one show- :in the usual terminal collar 0..

designates the annular elevator, pro

vided as usual with suspending links b and wedges, preferably in the form of longitudinalsections of a cone, depending from said elevator on opposite sides thereof and attached thereto and being allowed a certain amount of yielding or movement toward each other so as to clamp the tube between them when pressed inward as hereinafter described. This movement is preferably provided for by the slots e in the upper ends of said clamping wedges, receiving headed studs f which project from the said elevator and allow a certain amount of yielding independent of the said elevator. As shown in Fig. 5, I sometimes make these wedges integral with the elevator and construct the latter so that its edges will not comequite together, the gap between them allowing the necessary yieldin instead.

designates an annular part or device which may be called a back-up head and may be fixed on an exterior well tube E (Fig. 11) or in a casing head B" (Fig. 10) or within the central 0 ening of rotary machine table G Fig. 9. n the last named case this annular art is provided with detachable supportin brackets G which are bolted to the em table. If intended for use with the conoidal form of clamping Wedges the internal opening of said annular part is circular and tapers conoidally. It is also provided with stop ribs 72. to prevent the turning of said wedges j in the head. In some instances I use wedges down the wedges are normally quite free of I hold on the pipe.

' shoulder or collar a.

the pipe and there is no interference with the ordinary operations of the elevator. But when the descending elevator and pipe reach the level of the back-up head-the exterior of the clamping wedges will press against the inner face of said head or the rollers thereon and the inclination aforesaid with the weight of the pi e will force said wedges to clamp the pipe etween them. The inner faces of the wedges normally extend inward farther than the inner face of the-elevator to insure certain clamping action.

As shown in Figs. 11 and 12 I may use only a single wedge, the pipe then fitting against points m, n at the o posite side of the openmg of sald backup ead and being clamped by said wedge against the same. Other- WiSe the operation is as before described. The operative faces ,of the wedges are provided with vertical ridges 0 to-secure a better The weight of the tube is sup orted by the annular elevator B since this its under the The weight of the tube therefor presses continuously on said wedges C which are attached to 'saidelevator and practically arts of it, the elevator wedges and pipe a movin vertically downward toget or until the inc ined outer faces of said wedges reach the corresponding inner face of fixe part D, when the contact of said inner faces diverts the vertical pressure of gravity toward the axis of the pipe thereby causin the grooved and ribbed inner faces 0 of sai wedges to grip said pipe so that it will not turnwithin them. One pipe section may thus be held immovable while an adjoining section is turned for screwing or unscrewin or one section may be held and turned w ile the other is fixed. p

The above action of the gripping wedges requires no means for positively pressing on the back of the wedges or applying friction thereto, nor any dGVlCGS whatsoever in addition to the fixed part D, the elevator, the pipe and the single set of wedges for contact with part 0. These wedges are not for lifting or lowering the pipe, that duty being performed by the elevator without any wedging action or reliance on grip or friction, said elevator being simplv closed and fastened under said collar or shoulder that the latter may rest thereon. As soon as the upward pull on the elevator begins the wedges C are freed. thereby without diliiculty from the fixed part D; The very great simplicity of this tube clamping device both in construction and operation. and the instantaneousness of its grip and release are especial points in its favor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An elevator provided with depending clam ing devices, in combination with an annu ar part rovided with stops or ribs to revent said evices from turning, such part eing provided with an inclined internal face or faces arranged to engage the exterior faces of said clamping devices and force said devices toward each other for clamping a tube between them substantially as set forth.

2. An elevator provided with depending clam ing devices, in combination with an annu ar part rovided with stops or ribs to prevent said eviees from turning and with an internal face or faces arranged to engage the external faces of said clamping devices, one of the engaging faces in each instance being inclined and arranged to force inward the clamping device, the said devices being thereby closed on the tube between them substantially as set forth.

3. An elevator provided with depending clanlilpin wedges, in combination with an an ar fixed part provided with stops or ribs for preventing the turnirgg of said wedges, said annular part being internallyinelined for contact with the outer faces of said wedges to force them inward on a tube between them substantially as set forth.

4. An elevator rovided with depending clamping wedges, liaving outer faces in the form of ongitudinal cone sections and inner faces which are curved to fit a tube and have vertical ribs formed thereon, in combination with a fixed annular part having a conoidal inner face arran ed for contact with the outer faces of said we ges to force the latter inward against a tube between them. said annular part having means to keep said wedges from turning substantially as set forth.

5. An elevator rovided with depending clamping wedges aving outer faces in the form of longitudinal cone-sections and inner faces which are curved to fit a tube and have vertical ribs formed thereon, in combination with a fixed annular part having a conoidal inner face arranged for contact with the outer faces of said wedges to force the latter inward against a tube between them, said annular part being also provided with steps or ribs to keep said wedges from turning, substantially as set forth.

6. An elevator for hoisting pipe-sections out of a well or lowering them into the same, in combination with a clamping piece depending therefrom and provided with ribs to prevent the pipe from turning and a fixed device on which said clamping piece rests when the ipe-sections are to be screwed and unscrewe and which is provided with means to keep said clamping piece from turning, the outer face of said clamping device and the inner face of said fixed art being inclined to the axis of the pipe, an the weight of the pi e consequently tending to tighten the sai clamping device upon it, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination withan elevator adapted to surround a pipe, for supporting said pipe, a gripping device or devices attached to said elevator to move up and down therewith and fixed means arranged for contact with the outer faces of said devices as the latter descend under the weight of said pipe, the

contact faces of said devices and fixed means bein adapted to force the said devices inwar against said ipe for gripping the latter against turning su bstantially as set forth.

8. In combination with a pipe section, an annular elevator fitting around said pipe, receiving the weight of said pipe section to raise and lower the same, means for gripping the pipe to prevent its turning, attached to saidelevator, and ,a fixed part arranged for contact with said means, the contact faces of said means and fixed part being adapted under the action of the weight of the pipeto force the said means into gripping contact with the pipe, said means being normally out of such contact as soon as lifted from said part.

9. An elevator for pipe-sections provided with a depending clamping piece and having a pin and slot connection therewith to allow a certain amount of play of the latter, in combination with a fixed part arranged to support said clamping-piece and elevator, said clamping piece and fixed part having an inclined face between them, in order that the weight of the pipe, drawing on the elevator, may causesaid clamping piece to be forced inward substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A11 elevator provided with a pair of depending clamping wedges and having pin and slot connections with them to allow them a certain amount of independentmotion, in combination with a fixed part surrounding the pipe and wedges and supporting said wedges and elevator, said fixed part and wedges having an inclined face or faces between them in order that the weight of the pipe, drawing down said elevator and wedges, may cause the latter to clamp said ipe between them substantially as set fortli.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN ANDREWS, JR.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, RICHARD E. BABCOCK. 

